Today's digital marketing economics present a unique challenge for content marketers. Currently, there exists a nearly limitless number of economical, unique, and niche channels for customer engagement. In addition, there is an overwhelming amount of information to process and time constraints, with which, to do so. With such dissonance between opportunities and constraints, how should marketers approach developing an effective content marketing strategy? Start with the notion that an effective strategy is a well-rounded one. A well-rounded digital content strategy is a framework, built on a foundation of best practices, that empowers experimentation and optimization.

What constitutes a well-rounded digital strategy? At its center lies the website, the hub of all digital marketing actions. Protruding from the website is the pillar page. The pillar page acts as an information beacon to consumers searching for content by optimizing your content's SEO. Out from the pillar page stems the relevant blog and video content. Then the promotion elements, social media and email, provide forward mobility by distributing your content and promoting your brand.

Pillar pages create authority for a brand in a specific topic area in the eyes of both search engines and consumers. What are they exactly? Pillar pages are pieces of long-form content that broadly covers a topic (keyword) and a variety of subtopics (clusters). This pillar page provides links to each of these cluster articles for a more in-depth view into the subtopic. These cluster articles are also back-linked to the pillar page. Pillar pages provide consumers with an in-depth understanding of a subject in the specific areas they desire. Thus, it is rewarded with a higher ranking by search engines. Pillar pages add depth to a well-rounded digital content strategy.

Why should you blog? Well, businesses that blog generate 126% higher lead growth than non-blogging business. In addition, blogging business receives 55% more traffic and 434% more indexed pages. Blog articles also double as cluster articles for your pillar strategy. They have the potential to be shared via social media or email and repurposed for other mediums of content down the line. Blog content continues to be the bulk of a well-rounded content strategy.

By 2020, 82% of all internet traffic is expected to be video. Video will be the most important medium in the next decade. As content marketers, we are expected to entertain and educate customers. More than 75% of people say they would share a branded video if they thought it was entertaining and almost 66% say they would share it if it was informative. Video presents marketers with an amazing opportunity to fulfill our roles as educators and entertainers and is an integral part of a well-rounded content strategy.

Neglecting social media is no longer an acceptable marketing decision. According to the PEW Research Center, around 69% of Americans use some form of social media. Social media provides new platforms for listening to and engaging with customers. Even B2B companies can no longer avoid social media, as 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make purchasing decisions. In addition, social media is a primary aspect of content promotion propelling a well-rounded content strategy forward.

Best Practices:

Be human

Post consistently

Adjust your post for each individual social platform

Avoid sharing the same post on the same social platform

Twitter is limiting the automation of identical content and others are likely to follow

71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others

Email

Email isn't dead! 99% of consumers check their emails every day. However, email is evolving. Day-to-day, people are bombarded with emails: good and bad. Ensure you are providing users with valuable content that they opted-in to receive. In addition, send your emails on a consistent, but not overwhelming basis. Emails, along with social media, drive your content strategy forward by promoting your valuable content to individuals who enjoy it.

When developing your well-rounded digital content strategy begin with the website. It provides a foundation for all content to be hosted and acts as a center for conversion. From the website, create a pillar page to draw inbound organic traffic using SEO best practices. Next, develop the relevant blog and video content thank will be linked back to your pillar page. Finally, get the ball rolling with your content promotion using social media and email. Best of luck!

As a former entrepreneur, John-Michael uses his insights when developing strategy. His love for storytelling weaves itself into his work, supporting the larger, strategical narrative. When he isn't working, you can expect to find him playing mediocre piano (his words) or at a concert.